


The Assignment

by Amorfati32



Category: The X-Files
Genre: F/M, Jealousy, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 12:34:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15388860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amorfati32/pseuds/Amorfati32
Summary: Based on the Tumblr prompt: Scully has to go undercover and Mulder has to help her preparing without being involved directly. Scully has to get involved with the local sheriff. During the preparation Mulder is all professional but during the case while watching Scully trying to seduce the sheriff he loses it....





	The Assignment

“I don’t like this.”

Scully paused, midway through her descent down Mulder’s body, then looked up at him with questioning eyes. “You want me to stop?”

“Hell no.” He waited for her to continue down to where he craved her touch the most before continuing. “I mean the case,” he said, just as Scully took him into her mouth. She admired his ability to think about work, and promised herself that soon he wouldn’t have the ability to think at all.

“Mulder…” As she pulled back, she brought her right hand into play, stroking him gently from root to tip, feeling him harden in her grasp. “It’ll be fine. I’ll be wired up the whole time and there’ll be back-up too. You’ll be there.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know,” she replied softly. Scully understood his concerns and if the tables had been turned, she would have disapproved too. It was an undercover task unlike any other she’d experienced. The aim was to catch the serial killer responsible for the rape and subsequent murders of three woman over the space of a year in Cumberland County. The women all had a similar profile – they were single, in their thirties, petite with red hair. There was no evidence at any of the scenes, no clue in who the murderer could be. That was until an anonymous call came into the local Bureau, informing them that at least two of the women had been involved with the county sheriff prior to their deaths, though this had all been under wraps at the time. They’d rebuffed him and it wasn’t long after that they’d disappeared, their bodies turning up shortly after. The same sheriff had been accused of sexual harassment almost ten years ago, but the accusation was dropped. The allegation that he could be their man had been taken seriously given that there were no other leads at all in the murder cases and so the Bureau had been called in, with Mulder and Scully put forward to work on the case. Mulder would be profiling the sheriff while Scully, fitting the profile of the victims, would insert herself into the sheriff’s life, finding out what she could about him, looking for any evidence at his house, and setting the trap for his arrest. She would be Victoria Graham, a kindergarten teacher who’d moved to the area just a few months prior. Both Mulder and Scully knew what her assignment would entail, effectively seducing the sheriff. Neither partner had been particularly happy about the assignment, but while Scully resigned herself to the case and told herself that it would mean a murderer, a dangerous, cold and calculating man, a man supposed to help people, not kill them, would be off the streets. She only hoped it would be over soon. Mulder however hated the thought of his partner with another man, even though he knew it would all be an act – at least for Scully.

“But we’ll be in public most of the time.”

“It’s the rest of the time I worry about.”

“I can take care of myself Mulder. If he even hints at going too far I’ll cuff him before he’s even realized what’s going on.” Mulder said nothing. She knew he was sulking over the case for a number of reasons, but had hoped they could keep their disagreements out of the bedroom, so they could enjoy what was likely to be their last night together for at least a few weeks, possibly longer. “Don’t you trust me?” she asked, regretting the question almost immediately.

In response she felt Mulder slip his hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head to make contact. “Of course I do Scully.” He meant it too. “I just don’t trust him.”

“It’ll be fine,” she insisted, taking him into her mouth once again, this time succeeding in rendering him speechless.

Xxxx

It was official, Mulder hated this assignment, and he hated Sheriff Richardson. It was hell, having to work behind the scenes and sit back and watch Scully seduce the forty-six year old. He was, putting it simply, a horrid man, a tall, broad guy nearly six feet tall with greying hair and a love of guns, control and sexist jokes. He first caught sight of Scully at a bar one evening – she was dining alone, having moved to the area recently and still needing to make new friends – and it didn’t take him long to introduce himself. A quick introduction led to Scully inviting him to dine with her, and so the first steps to setting the trap for him were in place. She wore a wire on her so that Mulder and the surveillance team could hear her flirt with the Sheriff, hear the suggestive comments Richardson threw back at her. Her seduction was working; of course there was no reason for it not to – Scully was beautiful, intelligent and of course she fit the profile of the victims. Richardson was falling for it – and for Scully too – hook, line and sinker, which only gave Mulder cause for concern. Now that she was on the Sheriff’s radar she was in danger, for Mulder had no doubt that he was their man. And Mulder tried not to think about the other reason he had issues with this case – the fact he had to watch his partner flirt with another man.

He’d encountered flirty Scully a few times himself since they’d been together as a couple; batting her eyelashes at him across the office, playfully tugging at his tie when he was mid-conversation, reaching across the desk when she was wearing a low-cut top, offering him a tantalizing glimpse of her cleavage. But this was too much. Undercover Scully – Victoria in this instance – was more brazen than her real-life counterpart. She was complimentary, feeding the sheriff’s already inflated ego, laughing at all his jokes, though they were blatantly sexist, brushing his hand whenever she spoke. She was eager to make friends, and she was happy to spend time with the sheriff. She didn’t object the first night his hand drifted onto her knee, while it took Mulder every ounce of control he possessed not to run in and punch the sheriff for having the nerve to touch his partner.

Richardson was infatuated with his new-found friend, and didn’t hesitate in contacting her the next morning after their first meeting, inviting her out to dinner. That night he’d offered to walk her home but Scully had politely declined, instead accepting a second date, followed by a third. Richardson was persistent, clearly eager to move the relationship along, but Scully, though flirty, played coy, making him wait while investigators worked behind the scenes, drawing up his history, looking at his background to see if there was anything that could link him to the victims other than the say-so of a stranger. Though he worked hard, Mulder couldn’t take his mind off of his partner having to spend time with this creep – and he was a creep too. And so, when Scully agreed to their next date, Mulder had decided to abandon his profile and tag along too, telling himself he wanted to get a better look at the sheriff and the way he acted, not just that he wanted to keep an eye on him when he was around Scully.

Mulder sat at a table near the back of the bar, the perfect spot to keep an eye watch on his partner and the sheriff as they sat in a booth to his left. The sheriff had lost his work clothes in favor of jeans, a black tee and a leather jacket that looked a little too small for him, while Scully had gone for a smart but casual look, a pink sweater and grey skirt. Nursing a lukewarm beer, Mulder watched as the two of them gossiped and laughed, edging closer and closer. He gritted his teeth when Richardson wrapped an arm around his partner, Scully obediently gravitating into his hold. The conversation was light, Scully talking about her day at school, the children in her class, giggling as she told an amusing anecdote about one of her pupils dropping his pants in class; a story she’d told Mulder just a few weeks prior about her nephew.

“What did you do?” Mulder heard Richardson ask, though from the way his gaze kept drifting to Scully’s cleavage, Mulder was surprised he’d even been listening to the story.

“I calmly suggested he pull his pants back up, else I’d call his parents and explain why he was banned from next week’s class trip.” Mulder watched as Scully took a sip of her drink. She’d insisted on going to the bar to buy the drinks, and he wondered whether she feared Richardson would try and lace her drink with drugs. It also gave her the opportunity to stick to soft drinks – she’d told the sheriff she was drinking vodka and coke, but Mulder suspected the glass was light on alcohol. “How was your day?”

“Busy.” Mulder noted that whenever Scully tried to broach the subject of Richardson’s job he promptly moved onto something else, simply insisting that he preferred to leave all thoughts of work back at the office. But tonight, figuring his tongue may be loosened by the alcohol he’d consumed, Scully persisted.

“I admire you, I really do, dealing with those monsters.” Mulder watched for Richardson’s reaction, but he simply shrugged.

“I keep them off the streets.”

“It just makes me shudder to even think about being in the same room as a murderer or rapist.”

“It’s a good job I don’t scare easily.”

Scully smiled up at him, biting her lip suggestively. Mulder only hoped that inwardly she was as nauseous as he was. “I imagine you can handle yourself with suspects.”

“I handle myself very well.”

Giggling, Scully shook her head, tapping him lightly on the arm. “Oh you…” She was a good actress, Mulder thought to himself. If he’d have cracked a joke like that she’d have been rolling her eyes or telling him to stop talking. “Do you ever ask them why they do it?” she asked. “Why they choose to attack innocent people, or murder –”

“I leave that to the shrinks,” Richardson said dismissively, signalling an end to their conversation. Scully’s smile didn’t falter once, she knew deep down it wouldn’t work. “What I’m most concerned about is when I’m going to see you again.”

“You’re seeing me right now.” Her voice had taken on a raspy tone, suggesting she was tiring, and it reminded Mulder of her bedroom voice, when they’d just made love and she was fighting sleep. He missed that voice, that voice he’d thought was just for him, and he was annoyed that now this asshole got to experience it too.

“I know, but I can’t get enough of you.” He leaned in to kiss her, but Scully, as though anticipating the move, leaned forward in her seat to sit her glass back on the table. Mulder couldn’t help but smirk to himself when Richardson’s lips missed Scully’s and instead caught the side of her head in an awkward kiss. Undeterred, he grabbed his own drink, whisky on the rocks, and downed the rest of it. “When can I see you again Vicky?” The man reeked of desperation, and if Mulder hadn’t already been certain he was the culprit, their conversation would have told him. Richardson quickly became infatuated with women, he craved constant attention and didn’t like to be told no. It was just frustrating that he was so good at cleaning up after himself at crime scenes and evading capture.

“Well, after this you can walk me home,” said Scully, seemingly unfazed by his persistence. She was finally giving him what he wanted, her address, and Mulder knew that their colleagues had already arranged for surveillance and back-up to be there when they left the bar. “I’m free Saturday?”

“I can’t wait until Saturday,” said Richardson. “What about tomorrow?”

“I’ve got some homework to mark.”

“Do it the next night.” Richardson laughed, but there was something about his tone that suggested he wasn’t joking. “Or after you get home. I won’t keep you out late.”

“I guess…”

“Great.” He definitely couldn’t take no for an answer.

“I hope you don’t think I’m making excuses. I do enjoy spending time with you.” Scully was trying to soften his mood, having realized he was a little on edge.

“I do too. I feel such a connection with you Vicky. You’re such an amazing woman. God,” he added, staring into her eyes. “You’re so beautiful.”

Mulder had been poised to take another swig of his beer, but paused as he saw the sheriff lean in to kiss Scully, this time his aim on target. Mulder closed his eyes, praying that by the time he opened them again Scully would have pulled away and continued the conversation. But she hadn’t, and he was horrified when he noticed she was kissing Richardson back. It was part of her assignment, Mulder told himself. She had to do it. She wasn’t kissing him because she wanted to, it wasn’t real and it meant nothing. But it certainly looked real and it put Mulder on edge. He was watching his partner, in more ways than one, kiss another man, a man who above all had likely raped and murdered a series of women and would have continued to do so if the alarm hadn’t been raised. It sickened Mulder to his core for so many reasons.

Scully was the first to pull away thankfully, but Richardson wasn’t quite ready to give up. His mouth journeyed lower as he trailed kisses down Scully’s neck, and Mulder’s blood pressure spiked as he noticed the sheriff’s hand move to Scully’s leg and begin to slide up her skirt. Before he could stop himself, Mulder had picked up his drink and was out of his seat on the way to the bar. Just as he reached the booth, he deliberately stumbled, catching his partner as he did so, spilling his drink onto her lap, causing her to cry out.

“Hey!” Richardson sat back, his hand now out from underneath Scully’s skirt, and he clearly wasn’t happy at being interrupted. As Scully’s eyes landed on Mulder, he saw them widen in surprise, and he knew then that he was in the dog house.

“I’m so sorry m’am,” said Mulder apologetically. “I tripped over the chair.” He glanced behind him, pointing at a random chair.

Scully said nothing, equally shocked and pissed that Mulder had broken the rules, that he was putting them both in danger by appearing in front of Richardson. But the sheriff did speak, and Mulder knew that had his partner not been in the way, he’d be facing the sheriff’s fists. “Look what you’ve done,” he spat, gesturing to Scully’s now soiled skirt.

“I’m sorry, it was an accident,” protested Mulder, not sorry at all. “I’ll buy you another drink.”

“You’re damn right you will.”

“It’s fine,” Scully spoke up, turning to address the sheriff. She smiled sweetly at him. “We’re about to leave. I’m just going to pop to the bathroom and then you can walk me home.” Seeing that he was about to protest, about to hold Mulder to account, Scully closed the gap between them and pecked him on the lips, before turning to Mulder and shooting him a warning look. “It’s fine, these things happen.” Her tone was light, but her expression indicated she wanted to kill him.

With that she got out of the booth and went in search of the bathroom, glancing over her shoulder as she walked to make sure Mulder wasn’t getting himself into trouble. Shifting over into Scully’s seat, the sheriff waited until she was out of sight before he spoke. “I suggest you get the hell out of here, before I find some reason for you to spend a night in the cells.”

It was tempting to respond, but Mulder knew he’d be playing with fire, so instead he nodded solemnly. “Of course.” Setting down his drink on the table, Mulder walked away, well aware that to reach the exit he’d have to pass by the ladies’ bathroom.

Xxxx

He found Scully moments later in the bathroom, stood by the sink as she blotted her skirt dry with a paper towel. Thankfully the stalls behind her were all empty. As soon as the door opened fully she paused then, recognizing her visitor, threw the towel in the trash and turned to face him. “What the hell are you doing here?” She was angry, her eyes boring into him as he closed the door behind him.

“I’ve missed you too.”

“Are you insane Mulder? If he catches you in here, he’ll kill you.”

“At least then we’d finally have a witness.” Scully didn’t find the joke the least bit funny.

“You’re ruining everything.”

“I was helping you. I saw the way he was mauling you.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Scully, he had his hands all over you.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Are you serious?”

She stared at him, trying to read his thoughts, and she obviously didn’t like what she saw. “You’re kidding me.”

“What?”

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

“Of course I’m not. I just don’t like the way he’s touching you.”

“It’s just a case Mulder.”

“I know, but that doesn’t give him the right to touch you.”

“He has to!” Hearing voices coming from outside the bathroom, Scully suddenly reached out and grabbed hold of her partner’s hand, pulling him into one of the vacant cubicles and shutting the door behind them, locking it for good measure. She waited for the voices to disappear before she spoke again. “He has to think I’m interested. I can’t jeopardize this case Mulder and neither can you. What you just did is irresponsible and dangerous. What if he comes in here? He’s going to realize there’s something going on.”

“He’s such a creep.”

“You think I don’t know that Mulder? I hate him, that’s why I’m going along with it for now, because he’s an awful human being who belongs behind bars.” She sighed. “Don’t ruin this just because you’re jealous.”

“I’m not jealous.”

“Yes you are.”

“Maybe a little.”

Lifting herself up onto her tiptoes, Scully pecked him on the lips. “Maybe a lot.”

“I’ve missed you,” replied Mulder, already craving her touch again. This time he was the one who initiated the kiss. “It’s been three weeks.”

“You saw me on Friday at the briefing.” Scully had told Richardson she was heading out of town to meet her brother, when in fact she was filling in her colleagues on all she had learned, and hearing updates about their own progress.”

“That wasn’t what I meant.”

She sighed. “I know.”

“I don’t know if I can take much more. I hate the way he looks at you.” Another kiss. “And when he touched you out there I wanted to grab my gun and shoot him.” And another, this time in the crook of her neck. He wanted to eliminate Richardson’s touch.

“You’re so jealous Mulder.” As he leaned in for another kiss, Scully put her hands on his chest, holding him away from her. “I have to go.”

“One more minute.”

“He’ll get suspicious. We can’t ruin this now Mulder, this is all going to be over soon, I can feel it. We’re so close.”

“Tell me about it,” he joked.

“I’ll go back out there and distract him while you leave.”

Realizing she was right, Mulder nodded, kissed her again and pulled away regretfully. “Be careful.”

“You too. And next time keep your emotions in check Mulder. He knows you now, he’ll recognize you and you really will blow our cover.”

“I promise.” *At least,* he thought to himself. *I’ll try*.

Unlocking the cubicle door, Mulder opened it and let his partner out first. She’d almost reached he exit when a thought suddenly crossed his mind, and his heart pounded as he realized that he’d screwed up big time. Richardson would be the least of their worries. Not only would their colleagues never let them live it down, but they’d be in big trouble. “Scully?”

She turned, smiling. He was pretty sure she wouldn’t be when he’d finished speaking.

“The wire.” He pointed to her chest and waited for the penny to drop, for her to realize that everyone would have heard their entire exchange. But for some reason her expression didn’t falter. “I know,” she said. “When I saw you I knew you’d follow me in here, so I switched it off.”

God how he loved her. Mulder smiled as she opened the door and stepped back outside. He couldn’t wait for the case to be over.


End file.
